YOUNG PEOP Third in a series of Informal Chats with Young People on their Perplexing Problems By William W. Orr, D.D. Shall I Dance? Yes, I know quite well that dancing is universally popular and widely approved, and that many Christians dance. I knot? that dances are promoted by many character-building organ izations and even by some churches. I am aware that in educational and Christian circles hardly a voice is being raised against it. But I’m dead in earnest as I tell you the dance is the devil’s territory and way out of bounds for real lovers of Christ (Phil. 4:8). There isn’t a shadow of doubt but that the root of the dance’s attraction is sex, and it’s intention to arouse and stimulate passion. Take away the opportunities for improper physical proximity and you’d kill the dance in a week. Who would want to dance if girls danced only with girls and boys with boys? That shows what the dance is built upon (Rom. 1:24). To the one whose body is the temple of the Holy Spirit of God there need be no other argument (1 Cor. 6:19, 20). The companions of the dance are a sorry lot when dragged out into the open. Usually nearby there is drinking, smoking, and profanity. The lights are always turned low as if to hide what goes on there. The music is strange, jungle music, with the tempo calculated to make the dancer throw off restraint and indulge to the full. The whole thing reeks of sensuality and lust. Tell me, ought born-again Christians to be there (1 Thess. 5:22)? I know that the dance is almost irresistibly attractive to some young people. They dearly love to dance. But, please, for Christ’s sake, as well as your own, examine carefully the facts of the case (Col. 3:17). Thé dance destroys modesty, promotes impure thinking, soils lives and in many cases causes immorality of the worst sort. The dance crowd is the devil’s crowd, and the worst of bad company for children of God (Mark 6:22-29). Or, come to the positive. Does dancing glorify my Heavenly Father (1 Cor. 10:31) ? May I dance in the name of my Lord Jesus Christ (Col. 1:1,2)? Will my Divine Guest approve (1 Cor. 3:16)? Will I be a better Christian if I participate? There would certainly need to be some hesitation before one could truthfully answer “yes” to these questions. The devotees of the dance claim many things for it but never do they say it is to the glory and praise of God. I have yet to hear of a dance being opened with “ All Hail the Power of Jesus Name” , or stopped in the middle for a time of prayer, or closed with an earnest invitation for the ones present to receive the Lord Jesus Christ as personal Saviour. Not a few arguments are rushed to the dance’s defense which look rather silly in the daylight. Dancing is said to be good exercise. Well I’ll leave it to you to compare the exercise one would get in the smoke-filled and liquor-laden atmosphere of a ballroom with the exhilaration of a brisk walk in God’s great out-of-doors. At that time of night one doesn’t require exercise anyway; it’s time to sleep. It is claimed that the Bible encourages dancing, but you know the dancing of the Bible is not even remotely related to the modern dance (2 Sam. 6:14). Many parents sanction dancing saying that it promotes grace. Well, perhaps this is true, but at an awful cost in purity of life. The snake is graceful too. There are many clean sports which would be a much better teacher of grace. Some will say that all the crowd dances, and if one doesn’t, he or she will be left out. Well, I’m afraid that’s true, for you will be left out (John 16:2, 3). But you’ll be in good company on the outside, for all the real Christians will be there with you, and your Lord Jesus too (Heb. 13:5). Others ask: What of home dancing with just a few select friends? Well, you should ask the Lord about this, but my advice is “No.” All the dangerous elements are still there, and home dancing has a habit of growing into something else. There are scores of interesting and profitable ways of enjoying yourself which are not questionable. Try these. N O V E M B E R , 1 9 4 9
To Smoke or Not to Smoke? I’m going to be absolutely honest with you. It is possible, medically speaking, for one to be a smoker more or less throughout a lifetime and still apparently live out the normal span of years. This is not because there is no harm in tobacco, for there is. Rather it’s because of the amazing recuperative and protective powers which God has placed in the human body, which enable it to eliminate the poison of smoke as quickly as possible. No amount of smooth talking, however, will change the fact that it is cruel punishment to subject tne delicate mem branes of the respiratory system to the various irritants contained in smoke, any kind of smoke. Anyone is infinitely better off, healthier, wealthier and happier, who abstains entirely from the foul weed, as the majority of smokers will testify. But the physical harm of smoking is not the basis of my appeal to you. This habit has a tremendous strangle-hold on people today. It seems as if just everybody from grandmas to grammar school kids indulges. Many Christians smoke too saying the Bible doesn’t forbid it (Eph. 4:21-24), and they see no harm in, it (1 Cor. 6:19, 20). Well, I’ll admit that the Bible doesn’t specifically forbid it (1 Tim. 5:22), and I’ll fur ther admit that you can be a Christian and still smoke, but what kind of a Christian? That’s the point. Are we to be content with just being Christians? Is not the challenge of the New Testament to be entirely surrendered to Christ (Rom. 12:1, 2 )? Aren’t rewards to be handed out when we see Christ on the basis of whether or not we have served Him to our last degree of ability (2 Cor. 5:10). You see the question is not: Can I smoke and still be a Christian? Rather, it is: Will smoking make me a better Christian? Will I love Christ more and serve Him better through this? And anything, smoking or anything else, ought to be ruled out which will not draw my life nearer to the heart of Christ (Eph. 5:3-5). Page Eleven
Made with FlippingBook - Online Brochure Maker